Waiting in the Shadows
by heartless.melody
Summary: Will she always be the girl waiting in the shadows?


**Disclaimer:** This story is based on the characters and situations created and owned by Yuki Kure. I do not own La Corda D'oro. No copyright infringement is intended and absolutely no money is being made.

ooooo

"I…I…I like you, Kaho" Tsuchiura confessed. He had always liked Kahoko. Ever since the start of the concours, when he accompanied her after her accompanist bailed out, he knew there was something special about her.

And now, he gathered all his might to confess his feelings to Kahoko.

Kahoko stared at him, shock and confusion written on her face. Then, her expression turned into that of grief. Tsuchiura waited eagerly for her reply, hoping that she also liked him back.

"I'm sorry. I just don't feel the same way" she replied, clutching her violin, her head bent down. Tsuchiura didn't reply. There was an awkward moment of silence.

"It's because of Tsukimori, right? You love him, do you?" he asked, staring ahead of him. Kahoko looked up at him.

"Yes. I do love Tsukimori" she said. Tsuchiura just sighed. He knew this was coming. Why does Tsukimori always outruns him in everything? First, in the concours. Now, even with Kahoko. It was unfair!

"But, I do love you, Tsuchiura. But, only in a friendly way" she said and he saw a tear made its way down her cheek. Tsuchiura stepped closer to Kahoko and wiped away the tear on her cheek. Then, he hugged her.

"We would always be friends, right?" he asked her and Kahoko giggled silently.

"Of course, Tsuchiura" she smiled. He smiled back at her.

"And as a friend, I support you no matter what choice you make. Go get him then!" he said encouragingly and they both laughed.

Not far from where they were, a girl watched them intently, her heart breaking into pieces when she heard his confession.

xxxxx

The following day, Mori made her way to the practice rooms. She has booked one for the afternoon, not sure why she had done it.

She sat down on the piano and played a tune that showed what she was feeling right now.

Tsuchiura was walking down the corridors of the practice hall looking for Kahoko when he heard someone playing one of his favorite pieces. He followed where the music was coming from and stopped in front of the practice room in the corner of the hall. He listened intently at the playing. It was warm, gentle. It was not straightforward, like the way he played. He also noticed a few uneasy parts, but it was still great. Truth be told, he likes it, just like he likes Kahoko's violin playing.

When the piece ended, Tsuchiura opened the door and peeked inside the room, only to find Manami Mori sitting in front of the piano.

"Mori? You were the one playing?" he asked, entering the room.

"Apparently, I am. Sorry if you think it's not good" she said and stood up from the piano. Tsuchiura took her position and started flexing his hands. Then, he began playing a tune that was all too familiar.

La Campanella.

After he finished, he looked at Mori, who was staring at him while he played, her face showing no emotions at all.

"There's a big difference by the way we played. But honestly, you were good" Tsuchiura complimented and smiled at her.

But instead of smiling, Mori's face turned to that of irritation.

"Don't lie, Tsuchiura. Especially not about my talent. I know there's no music that ever sounds good to you than Kahoko's violin playing, so stop lying!" she bellowed angrily, then quickly left the room, leaving a stunned Tsuchiura.

xxxxx

"What was that about?" Tsuchiura asked himself and he ran a hand on his tousled myrtle green hair. What Mori said earlier in the practice rooms kept repeating over and over on his mind. It was true that he loves Kahoko's violin playing, but Mori was great, he knew that when he heard her play La Campanella. So why would she tell him to stop lying?

He decided to drop by at the park to get a few space to think. That's when he saw Mori standing over the little bridge, leaning on the railing. She didn't notice him, so he decided to approach her.

Mori was deep in her thought that she didn't notice Tsuchiura approach her and stand beside her. He cleared his throat and Mori looked up at him, then she quickly glanced away again.

"What do you want?" she asked impassively. Tsuchiura just chuckled at her.

"Since when are you like Tsukimori?" he asked with a slight teasing tune in his voice. Mori didn't reply nor look at him. To her surprise, Tsuchiura held her chin with his hand and turned her face towards him before leaning to closer to her.

"You know, you should smile or else your beautiful face will be ruined" he whispered and a small blush crept up on Mori's cheek. She quickly backed away and Tsuchiura chuckled at her.

Nobody said a word for a few moments. It was silent again, and Tsuchiura wondered why Mori wasn't her usual bubbly self. The tension in the atmosphere was heavy and Tsuchiura decided to confront her.

"Honestly, Mori. What's wrong?" he asked seriously, looking at the brown haired girl beside him. This was the first time Tsuchiura got a chance to study her intently. She was staring at the pond below them, with a seemingly troubled expression in her eyes.

"Nothing" she said, almost in a whisper. Tsuchiura grunted. She was the one lying now. It was obvious that something was wrong!

"Don't lie, Mori. It's pretty obvious something's wrong. You're not your usual self, you know. And even if we're not that close, I could see that there's something bothering you. I'm not an idiot, you know. So please, tell me" he said, frustrated. Mori remained silent. Tsuchiura felt anger surging inside him. It was pointless trying to talk to someone who doesn't want to talk to you, so he decided to leave her alone. When he was about to walk away, Mori spoke up.

"Will I always be the girl waiting in the shadows?" she asked and Tsuchiura stopped in his tracks. This was the first time he heard Mori speak of something like this, even her voice was gloomy.

"Nobody ever notices me. Why? Is something wrong with me?" she asked him again, now, tears were streaming down her face. Tsuchiura just stood there glued to the spot, looking at Mori.

"Nothing's wrong with you, Mori. You're a beautiful and talented girl" he said and he stepped closer to her, but Mori only backed away from him.

"If that's true, then why didn't you ever notice me?" she suddenly blurted out and Tsuchiura gasped in surprise. Was Mori confessing to him?

"I've always like you, Tsuchiura. But you failed to notice that. You always notice Kahoko, no matter what. I tried to gain your attention, but failed. Kahoko always comes first to you! And you didn't even see that she likes somebody else" she confessed. Tsuchiura didn't say a word. Then, she continued on.

"Then, I heard your little confession to her yesterday" she admitted and Tsuchiura's eyes went wide.

"You did?!" he asked, stunned.

"I did. Do you know how hard it was to hear you say those words to her? Why can't it be me?" she said and more tears made their way down her face.

"Mori…I…" Tsuchiura spoke up, but Mori stopped him.

"Don't say it. I know this will happen. That's why I never tried to confess to you. What's the point of doing it if I know you're just going to reject me?" she whispered.

"Hey, don't be too assuming. I…" he tried again but Mori didn't bother to listen.

"Just save it, okay? I don't want to hear it" she said and ran away, leaving a stunned and confused Tsuchiura again.

xxxxx

The following day, Mori made her way to the rooftop to have her lunch. She didn't invite any of her friends since she wanted to be alone for a while. The events that happened yesterday was still bugging her.

When she arrived at the rooftop, she found Tsuchiura there, his back turned to her, looking at the view of the school. She decided to go down again when Tsuchiura turned to face her.

"Don't" he said and Mori just stood there, her head bent down, trying to avoid Tsuchiura's eyes.

Tsuchiura made his way over to her. Mori didn't dare look up at him. He held her chin again and turns her face to look at him again. Much to her surprise, he planted a small kiss on her forehead.

"You still have a chance, you know" he whispered and walked away. Mori remained glued to the spot, her face blushing furiously.

Mori decided to go back to her classroom since she lost her appetite after what Tsuchiura did. When she got there, the room was deserted and she sighed in relief. When she got to her seat, she found a red rose lying on her table. She knew whom it came from.

_I still have a chance with him. Maybe I'm not going to be the girl waiting in the shadows anymore._

And a small smile formed on her lips.

ooooo

**Author's Note:**

**I am so sorry if it's crap! This is my first attempt to write a fanfic about La Corda. I'm currently wiritng another one regarding Kahoko/Len pairing. I promise that I will try to make it much, muc better than this one. I'm also sorry if you think the characters are OOC. Apparently, I'm a newbie in writing, so please bear with me.**

**Please read and review! All reviews will be welcomed and very much appreciated! :))**


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